Cleaning apparatus

ABSTRACT

A cleaning apparatus comprises a main rod, a wringing tube, a bearing, a lock, and a cleaning rag assembly. The lock has an upper end with an elastic holding assembly with insertion heads which respectively enter blocking holes of the main rod. Thereby the lock is easily mounted at the lower end of said main rod and dismounted therefrom, allowing to replace the cleaning rug assembly. The wringing tube has an upper end with a unidirectional wheel and an opening through which a lever assembly reaches which engages with a unidirectional wheel, permitting the unidirectional wheel to turn in one and only one direction, so that the cleaning rag is wrung dry with minimal physical effort.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus, particularly to a cleaning apparatus having a wiping cloth that is easily replaced.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In daily life, cleaning apparatuses with handles are important tools for cleaning. A cleaning apparatus with handle generally has a handle and a cleaning element, which is a bundle of cotton strings held together by a wire or a band or is a wiping cloth. The cleaning element is attached to a lower end of the handle and works by sucking in water which serves to dissolve dirt on an object to be cleaned. After wiping over the object to be cleaned, the cleaning element is manually wrung, which is laborious and unhygienic.

To deal with the aforementioned problem, cleaning apparatuses have been developed which allow for convenient drying of cleaning elements. Each cleaning apparatus of this type comprises a rod, a tube and a cleaning element. The rod is inserted in the tube and glidingly movable therein. The cleaning element is at two locations that fastened to the rod and to the tube. For wringing the cleaning element, the rod and the tube are turned against each other, so that the cleaning element is wound up, or the tube is manually pushed downward. Thereby, wringing of the cleaning element is convenient and hygienic.

The cleaning element comprises cloth cut into several stripes with two ends each, which are respectively fastened to the rod and the tube. Due to the material of the cloth, however, manufacturing cost is high. Furthermore, the cloth material is not easily available and cannot be replaced when worn. Therefore, after the cloth has become unusable, the whole cleaning apparatus has to be replaced, which is wasteful.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning apparatus having a cleaning element of cloth that is made of common material and easily replaced.

It is another object of the invention to provide a cleaning apparatus having a cleaning element that is wrung without hard physical effort.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, with structural parts partly removed.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the bearing and the lock of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the bearing and the lock of the present invention in another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the tube of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the unidirectional wheel and the lever assembly of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1-6, the cleaning apparatus of the present invention comprises: a main rod 1, an unidirectional wheel 2, set on an upper section of the main rod 1; a wringing tube 3, coaxially put over the main rod 1 and turnable against the unidirectional wheel 2 in one direction; a bearing 4, fastened to the main rod 1 at a lower end thereof; a lock 5, holding the lower end of the main rod 1 at a lower end of the bearing 4; and a cleaning rag assembly 6. The cleaning rag assembly 6 comprises a cleaning rag 61, which is shaped like a tube, an upper holder 62 and a lower holder 63. The upper holder 62 is attached to the cleaning rag 61 at an upper end thereof and fastened to the wringing tube 3 at a lower end thereof. The lower holder 63 is attached to the cleaning rag 61 at an upper end thereof and inserted into the lock 5 from below. By turning the wringing tube 3 against the main rod 1, the cleaning rag is wrung dry effectively. The upper and lower ends of the cleaning rag 61 are fixed by cords, bands or other suitable means or are movable against the wringing tube 3 and the lock 5, respectively, which is conventional art and does not need further explanation. In the following, a detailed description is given.

Referring to FIG. 2, the bearing 4 has a circular cross-section, having a top end with a connecting part 41 into which the lower end of the main rod 1 is inserted. The bearing 4 has a lower part 42 which is shaped like a funnel and into which the lock 5 with the cleaning rag assembly 6 are inserted from below. Between the connecting part 41 and the lower part 52, the bearing 4 has a middle section with openings. Two blocking holes 11 are bored into the main rod 1 at positions coinciding with the openings of the middle section of the bearing 4.

The lock 5 has a circular cross-section and an outer diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the bearing 4, so that the lock 5 is insertable into the bearing 4. Aligning with the blocking holes 11, the lock has a holding assembly 50, which comprises a helical spring 51 carrying two blocking heads 52 on opposite ends. Thereby the lock 5, having been inserted into the bearing 4, is held therein.

As shown in FIGS. 2-3, for reducing load on the spring 52 by lateral force, two projections 55 extend outward from a periphery of the lock 5 into spaces between inward protrusions 43 of the bearing 4, preventing turning of the lock 5 against the bearing 4. Thus the blocking heads 52 readily enter the blocking holes 11.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-2, the lower end of the cleaning rag assembly 6 is fixed on the lock 5 or movably attached thereto. When the lock 5 is inserted into the bearing 4, the lower end of the cleaning rag assembly 6 is fixed against the bearing 4, and the cleaning rag assembly 6 is wrapped around the bearing 4 and the main rod 1.

Referring to FIG. 4, the present invention in another embodiment has a holding assembly 50A, which comprises a plate spring 51A carrying a single blocking head 52A.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the lock on a lower end thereof has a flange 57, allowing to fasten the lower holder 63 of the cleaning rag assembly 6 on the lock 5.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the wringing tube 3 is put over the main rod 1 and is turnable against the main rod 1. The upper end of the cleaning rag assembly 6 is fastened to the lower end of the wringing tube 3. Upon turning of the wringing tube 3 against the main rod 1, the cleaning rag 61 is wound around the main rod 1. Subsequently, the wringing tube 3 is pushed down along the main rod 1, so that water is wrung out of the cleaning rag 61 without great physical force. The unidirectional wheel 2 allows for turning of the wringing tube 3 against the main rod 1 only in one direction.

A flange 30 is attached to the lower end of the wringing tube 3, so that a peripheral groove 31 is formed, which accommodates the upper holder 62 of the cleaning rag assembly 6. Thereby the cleaning rag assembly 6 is held on the flange 30.

For preventing the cleaning rag assembly 6 from gliding against the flange 30, the flange 30 carries several cone-shaped protrusions 33, fixing the cleaning rag assembly 6.

Referring to FIG. 6, an opening 35 is cut into the wringing tube 3 close to the unidirectional wheel 2. A lever assembly 7, passing through the opening 35, is engaged with the unidirectional wheel 2.

The lever assembly 7 comprises a lever 71, having an inner end carrying a blocking tooth 72, a lateral hole 73 in a central position through which an axis 74 passes, and a projection 75 at an outer end, with a spring 76 being inserted between the projection 75 and a base 77 fixed on the wringing tube 3 below the opening 35.

The tooth 72 is inclined on one side, so that turning the unidirectional wheel 2 in one direction will push the lever 71 away therefrom, while turning in an opposite direction is blocked. Therefore, the wringing tube 3 and the main rod 1 are turnable against each other in one direction only, saving physical effort of holding the cleaning rag assembly 6 when wound around the main rod 1. After the cleaning rag 61 has been wound dry, the outer end of the lever 71 is pressed on to release the unidirectional wheel 2.

For replacing the cleaning rag assembly 6, the insertion heads 52 of the lock 5 are pressed inwards and the lock 5 is pulled out from below, so that the cleaning rag assembly 6 is removed from the bearing 4. Then the lower holder 63 of the cleaning rag assembly 6 is taken away from the flange 57 of the lock 5 and the upper holder 62 of the cleaning rag assembly 6 is taken away from the flange 31 of the tube 3. As soon as the upper and lower holders 62, 63 of the cleaning rag assembly 6 are loose against the lock 5 and the wringing tube 3, the cleaning rag assembly 6 is easily replaced. Regular strips of cloth are usable as the cleaning rag 61.

The present invention does not require using of special material as a cleaning rag, so that cost is saved. A worn cleaning rag is easily replaced, so that wasteful throwing away of a whole cleaning apparatus is not required.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A cleaning apparatus, comprising: a main rod, having two blocking holes at a lower end thereof; a wringing tube, coaxially put over said main rod, being glidingly movable against said main rod, and having a lower end with a flange; a bearing, fastened to said main rod at a lower end thereof; a lock, having a lower end with a flange and an upper end with an elastic holding assembly with insertion heads which respectively enter said blocking holes of said main rod; and a cleaning rug assembly, surrounding said bearing and said wringing tube, having an upper end held by said flange of said wringing tube and a lower end held by said flange of said lock; wherein said lock is easily mounted at said lower end of said main rod and dismounted therefrom, allowing to replace said cleaning rug assembly.
 2. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said holding assembly of said lock comprises a helical spring and two insertion heads at opposite ends thereof.
 3. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said holding assembly of said lock comprises a plate spring and one insertion head mounted thereon.
 4. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said lock on a middle section thereof has projections placed in spaces between inward protrusions on said bearing.
 5. A cleaning apparatus, comprising: a main rod; a wringing tube, coaxially put over said main rod, being glidingly movable against said main rod, and having a lower end with a flange, furthermore having an upper end with a unidirectional wheel and an opening through which a lever assembly reaches which engages with said unidirectional wheel, permitting said unidirectional wheel to turn in one and only one direction; a bearing, fastened to said main rod at a lower end thereof; a lock, having a lower end with a flange and an upper end which is mounted at a lower end of said main rod; and a cleaning rug assembly, surrounding said bearing and said wringing tube, having an upper end held by said flange of said wringing tube and a lower end held by said flange of said lock.
 6. The cleaning apparatus of claim 5, wherein said lever assembly further comprises a lever, having an inner end carrying a blocking tooth permitting said unidirectional wheel to turn in one and only one direction, a lateral hole in a central position through which an axis passes, and a projection at an outer end, with a spring being inserted between said projection and a base fixed on said wringing tube below said opening thereof.
 7. The cleaning apparatus of claim 5, wherein said flange of said wringing tube has a plurality of cone-shaped protrusions. 